If someone had argued at the end of last season that the only team out of contention in the AFC South by week eight would be the Indianapolis Colts, most sports betting critics would have laughed and wrote them off. Heading in to this Sunday’s divisional showdown weekend in the AFC South that is exactly the case with the winless Colts struggling to find any semblance of an identity without their franchise quarterback Peyton Manning leading the way. Following their worst loss of the season, Indianapolis will travel to the Music City to take on the Tennessee Titans in a crucial NFL game for the home side, while the Jacksonville Jaguars look to build on a surprising Monday Night Football win as they take on the division-leading Houston Texans.Indianapolis Colts @ Tennessee Titans (-9)
Sunday, 1:00 PM ET
It is hard to imagine after a 62-7 loss to the New Orleans Saints that the Colts actually came close to winning a couple of games this year, but it wasn’t that long ago that games against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers went down to the wire. Perhaps the failure to capitalize on those chances has ruined the morale in Indianapolis, but whatever the case, head coach Jim Caldwell will need to find a way to bring out a lot more passion and intensity from his pay head team before his seat gets any hotter. The Colts are on the road this Sunday to take on a Tennessee team that is also coming off of a blowout loss, and it is hard to figure out which team was stung more. While Indy was crushed on the scoreboard, the hometown Titans’ fans watched on as a win that would have moved them into first place turned in to a devastating loss that could play on the team’s mindset as far as confidence is concerned going forward. Tennessee should be able to clinch this game in a must-win situation, but it will come down to the wire as the Colts show a much better effort.
NFL Betting Pick: Indianapolis Colts + 9
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Houston Texans (-9.5)
Sunday, 1:00 PM ET
As good as it must have felt for the home fans to celebrate a Monday Night Football win over the Baltimore Ravens, it’s hard to imagine the team not suffering a letdown as they travel following their most emotional win of the year. The Jaguars did a lot of things right on defense against the Baltimore attack, but the Texans represent an entirely different monster and can score in more ways than one, as they showed against the Titans. Houston has the perfect opportunity to capitalize on the Colts missing Manning and lock up their first division title and playoff spot this season, and these are the intertops wins they need if they are going to get to that point.
Picks NFL : Houston Texans – 9.5
